Book Review by Rob Bayliff: LONGMOOR MILITARY RAILWAY The Long Decline, Nigel Attwood

In the January/February 2024 Military Railway Study Group Bulletin, the publication of this book by Bulletin Editor Nigel Attwood is announced (page 34-23).

It is stated “This book is not a definitive history of Longmoor like Mike Chirstensen’s 3 volume tome. It is simply a commentary on the 160 picture selected from the 280 of the Transport Treasury library at the time of writing.”

To say that this is a picture book belies the fact that the captions to the photos are informative with a binding commentary written by a retired professional military railwayman with vast experience in training and operating.

After an introduction tracing the post-war development (for which read decline) through renumberings, defence reviews and reorganisation, there is a useful list of army abbreviations and ranks.

The photos with text are divided into eight chapters, each covering a distinct topic from locomotives from the early years via open days to details for model makers. It is an understatement to say that the photos with captions and commentary provide a comprehensive overview.

In the training and operations chapter, for example, we learn that WD 0-6-0STs built as the war was ending never made it into service, deteriorating unused. One learns that open wagons were preferred for the conveyance artillery shells. Train graphs are described, signalling matters are explained, and track-laying is illustrated.

The post-war development of Austerity 2-8-0s and 2-10-0s and the 0-6-0ST are covered in the railway and central workshops chapter, again every photo telling a story.

The open days chapter will resonate with many having attended, these being their only experience of the LMR. Antics of civilian attendees on photo are dealt with fitting comment from the author. How many of us were aware that Ruston 275hp class C4 engines could supply the air for the pneumatic pressure to operate Deutchland re-railing equipment?

Other interesting snippets occur in the rolling stock chapter. One has noticed “Set” numbers on goods rolling stock. The explanation is given that stock was divided and marshalled into set Sets which were dissembled into mixed-up sets for students to shunt back into the Sets. In Set 5 was a van with no brakes at all, not even a parking brake. This was to make students think and remember not to leave the wagon without being coupled to a wagon with brakes lest it roll away by itself. Such practical snippets abound throughout the book.

Buildings get their own chapter which demonstrate their relationship and use in a running railway with regard to geographic and local features.

The post closure chapter records the history of the attempt to retain the track as a railway preservation centre, with photos of locomotives associated with the LMR and accounts of the disposal and subsequent histories of a few examples. Mention is made of the USA 0-6-0Ts acquired by the SR which includes the interesting snippet regarding a difference in firebox width within a batch of Vulcan-built engines and resulting engines swap.

The author is a modeller of military railways so the final chapter is no surprise. The selected photos illustrate and explain many aspects from train composition, colours and livery details, nameplates, spark arrestors, disposal of washed-down slurry and tenders, to name but a few.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. The wealth of information contained in the thousand words in this picture book belies such a casual description of this work. This retired civilian railwayman – reviewer thoroughly recommends it.

This book makes no claim to be a history of the LMR; that has already been admirably done in the trilogy written by Col,. David Ronald and Mike Christensen OBE. It is an album of photographs with extended captions from the library of The Transport Treasury compiled by Major Nigel Attwood (Ret'd) and as such it contains some interesting information not generally known to those 'on the outside'. Captions are informative though where several appear together as on pages 14 and 16 it would have been helpful to highlight the photo locations in bold type. A section at the start of the book details early locomotives on the Railway, most of which had disappeared by the end of World War 2.
Photographs are well reproduced but not always where they should be - the picture of Sentinel WD 890 listed on page 3 as on the back cover is reproduced on page 42 and in as-delivered condition on page 28, while the rear cover shows 0-6-0ST AD 196, probably on the 1967 Open Day. A few pictures are wrongly identified: on page 92 a USATC S100 frame is claimed to be from WD 300 at Gypsy Hollow, whereas it was the frame of the fifteenth S100 bought by the Southern Railway for spares, taken at Eastleigh Works with the remains of Drummond T9 No.(30)722 behind. A view on page 25, repeated on page 86 is stated to be of one of the RCTS Tours of the LMR in April 1966 but actually shows Shrawardine Viaduct on the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway.
Despite these minor faults this is a useful addition to the library of anyone interested in the Longmoor Military Railway and with 104 A4 pages for £14.95 is good value for the price. Recommended.

The book contains a great variety of images along with an explanatory text about the post war years at Longmoor and the eventual closure of the railway. Recommended.

Quality softbank publication produced in photo album style with many great images each with their own descriptions written by someone who was there at the time.
Suitable for enthusiasts of military railways and railway modellers who should gain much inspiration from many of the images.
Enjoyable read throughout though I did note description errors in three captions and there was a caption to a picture which was not reproduced in the book.
Good value for the price, but beware of a little inaccuracy at times.